


Quite Lovely

by Genkai



Category: Top Gear (UK) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-22
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-14 04:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2178660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genkai/pseuds/Genkai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A two part collection of snippets of people falling in love during different stages of life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Richard, Jeremy and Andy

**Author's Note:**

> I'm bored, trying to get my muse to work (read as: trying to put down the 3DS and write more) so I made this. So why not do a bit of crack (pairing) to pass the time? The next and final chapter will have James, Sarah and Francie's points of view during a later part of their relationship.

\- - - "Quite Lovely." - Richard Hammond to James May

After a few drinks at the hotel, I had made some rubbish bet with May that he couldn't get 20 bucks worth of tips. We were in a fancy Miami hotel and I was pretty sure no one around would appreciate some cheesy piano music. The lounge was a dim blue color, the couches were white and black and the bar was made out of a dark polished granite. It reeked of swankiness and of course, Clarkson was off prowling the shops down the street, looking for some insane present to give one of us unlucky bastards. James sauntered over to the black grand piano and sat down. I grabbed the empty glass from our table and put it on the piano to act as a tip jar. It once held a nice smooth scotch but now it was in my stomach. In a better place.

"Come on mate." I waved my hands at James. I knew after he had a few drinks, his pianist skills deteriorated. I was looking forward to an amusingly easy win. James brushed his long hair out of his face and looked at me, his blue eyes misty. "Oy, save that smolder for the old ladies." I smirked and leaned against the piano.

"I haven't got any sheet music." He lamented.

"Make something up." I shrugged and slumped, nearly crumpling to the marble ground. It would probably be a welcome relief to my flushed skin but I kept my balance and James began to play. I staggered around to where he was and leaned against the wall. The music was light, his fingers danced along the black and white keys and I found my attention waning. If anyone walked in and slipped him a dollar, it went unnoticed by me. My eyes closed and my ears shouldered all the weight of James' performance. 

The melody was fresh and considerate. 

James paused every so often, to probably think about what notes to play next. Considering he had no sheet music and was a bit drunk, I was pretty impressed with whatever he was playing. It made sense to me. It felt nice. The stresses of the day were slowly fading away and I found myself almost beginning to nod off. We didn't have a time frame for the bet but when I opened my eyes, I saw he had already generated some money in the glass. I pushed myself off the wall and slid beside him on the bench. He paused though his hands rested on the keys as he glanced at me. "If you're trying to bother me, it won't work." He declared in that velvety voice of his.

"I'm not trying to bother you. But am I?" I asked, face puffing up slightly at his jab.

"Not yet." He muttered and grinned.

James went back to playing and I took this opportunity to watch his fingers more closely. His fingers defied his age, they moved with grace and poise. They weren't like Clarkson's cumbersome hands that only clung to hammers and bottle of diet coke. This time, his tempo was more slow and somber in a way, if I wasn't mistaken it was Moonlight Sonata. "Ain't gonna get tips with that tune, mate." I sighed. The long haired man beside me was quiet for a few seconds before he looked up at the jar.

"If my calculations are correct, I'm only seven dollars away from my goal." He boasted with a slow forming grin as he glanced to me. "Did you know this song was crafted by Beethoven to express his heart's despair of unrequited love." He mentioned as his tempo remained sow and even, not rushing it as some players did. "Some believe you can only play it well if you share the same torment." He said and licked his lips as his attention slipped back to the keys under his fingertips.

"You're...it's...quite lovely." I hummed thoughtfully and sighed. Rather than chit chat any longer, I just sat there as he finished his piece and in the end was a $1.50 short of winning. In the end, I think we both lost that night as we headed up to our rooms, hoping to get some sleep before filming kicked back up in the morning.

\- - - "Quite lovely." - Jeremy Clarkson to Sarah Frater

I had met her after one of her performances on stage in the middle of the winter season. 

She was beautiful and quite honest, she didn't hide behind a lot of makeup or frilly clothes or dishonest pushup bras.

No, this dancer was something unique and I knew I had to buy her a drink, even if that offer was not very unique.

Her name was Sarah Frater and she was a dancer, as well as a dance critic. She had long light colored hair which she kept in a bun, which she claimed was an old habit that couldn't be killed. While she was a dancer, she spent more time behind a desk writing about various companies in the area, big and small. She kept an eye on the up and coming talent and was a great writer. Even so, she tried to mentor and help those dancers who she saw great potential in. Sarah was surely a kind soul among a decrepit garden of rot. So I gave the flower my number and told her I'd love to see her sometime.

Four days went by and I was actually growing worried.

But then she finally rang me up while I was at the Top Gear Test Track. "Hello?"

"Hi, Jeremy Clarkson?" A feminine voice replied. "This is Sarah, you gave me your number on Saturday. Sorry it took a while to reach you, I've been in Glasgow doing some write ups." She said. 

"It's alright, I'm very patient."

"Oh? I know for a fact, that's a lie." Sarah said, voice full of laughter.

"What?"

"I watch your show, you're such a child!" She teased. I didn't have much a response to that tidbit of honesty but she carried on, not wanting things to get awkward, I presumed. "Anyway, i have tonight free, how about we grab dinner?" She suggested to me. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as I heard Andy in the background calling for me. Christ, couldn't that man wait a second? "I'm not bothering you at work, am I?"

"No no, nothing exciting going on here, just doing a bit with a Ferrari, nothing special." I waved up, a smirk on my lips. "Dinner tonight would be great. There's some popup fondue place I've been meaning to try and see if it's poncey or worth all the hype." I offered. Sarah seemed to like the suggestion so we decided to meet there at seven thirty. With the plan made, I hung up and made reservations at the restaurant. The rest of the filming went by without incident though I was only half concentrating as the sun went down and we had to call it a day. I waved to the crew and headed back to my flat to clean myself up.

And soon seven thirty-six rolled around and both of us were sitting across from one another at the restaurant while our waiter poured us some chilled white Riesling. I smiled at Sarah who had on a simple black dress, it flowed away from her waist and created a shape much like a poppy. She had on a simple pearl necklace and had her hair pulled back in a bun, like most dancers wore their hair. I had on black slacks and a matching blazer, and then a light blue button up shirt. I had debated wearing dark denim but decided against in. "I didn't know children were your type." I couldn't help but smile as I took a sip of wine.

Sarah reached for her glass as well and then raised her gaze to mine. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for my comment to be insulting." She said.

It was a bit of a blow to my ego, the last thing I wanted was a beautiful woman to consider me below her, though I knew that wasn't her intention by any means. "I know, I know." I waved a hand, feeling stupid for bringing it up.

"I like that about you though," She insisted. "so many guys I work with are so serious and don't have a sense of humor at all. Or they're gay, either way, it's really fun to watch you work. I can tell you enjoy it and I know there's more to you than fooling around." Sarah said. "I think it's a challenge to retain energy and positivity these days, I envy that you can roll things off your shoulders and have fun." Well, when she put it that way, it was more of a compliment than an insult. I smiled and nodded, in understanding. 

"Well thank you, Sarah." I said, relaxing easier now. The dancer flashed a smile as we continued to chat over our fondue. The food was good though it was hard to screw up melted cheese. We talked about our childhood and how things were in our lives at present. It had been a while since I've been able to hold a conversation with someone outside of work, and not be hounded for car advice or political opinion. Sarah enjoyed Top Gear but we talked more about things outside of work for us. At the end of the meal, I paid for us and suggested we go grab a drink at a pub down the street. She said the first round would be on her.

Fine by me.

After three rounds of drinks, both of us were ready to call it a night, as well as successful date. Imagine that, me on a date that hadn't somehow caught on fire? "I had a great time Jeremy." Sarah said as I walked her to her car, a red Mini. 

"Same here." I nodded as she pulled out her keys and turned back toward me. "I had a rather..." I glanced down at my shoes, now this was where something was sure to blow up in my face. "Tonight was lovely. Quite lovely." I looked back up and leaned down. My lips pressed against hers and she kissed me back. Yep, the night couldn't have gone any better and it was on that bombshell that I said my goodnight and headed back to my lonely Mercedes with a grin stuck on my face.

\- - - "Quite lovely." - Andy Wilman to Francie Cain

She was an old friend of Jeremy's but nothing more.

I had seen her stop by the office at the BBC, asking for him. From what I overheard her tell one of the editors, she had been away in America, doing some short time management work and wondered if she could have Jeremy's contact information. She explained that he had offered to hire her as his own manager but when a job came up with more pay, she had to turn Jeremy's offer down and leave the city for several months. Now that she was back, she was hoping to reconcile and catch up. I got up from my desk and held out my hand to the blond woman, "Are you sure you want to bother with Jeremy?" I smiled.

"He and I just friends, always have been, always will be. I can tolerate his crap and I'm looking for work, hopefully with Top Gear doing so well, I might have a job helping him out." She said. "I'm Frances Cain, though I prefer Francie." She said.

"Hello. I'm Andy, Andy Wilman." 

"I know who you are, Jeremy's mentioned you a few times. You seem to get on well." Francie replied. I nodded and pocketed my hands. "Should I come back later...?" She began to ask.

"Oh I can give you his card-" I began to offer but then stopped myself. "Actually," I checked the time on the clock on the wall next to us. "The boys are around, probably off grabbing lunch. We could get some tea and wait for Jeremy to come back." I suggested to her. The girl glanced around and many of the crew and staff went back to work, done watching us for the time being. 

"Sure." She nodded and I grabbed my coat and motioned her off. We headed along a series of halls and came to the elevator and we headed up to the top floor which had a cafe on it. It was less busy than the ones down on the street level so there wouldn't be as much noise pollution. As we sat down with our drinks, I noticed her checking her phone. Jeremy had mentioned Francie once, maybe twice. Still, I knew it was unwise to meddle in such things and tried to stay polite but engaging. "So how do you like working with Jeremy? I know he's a handful but he really is a good guy with a nice heart, he just gets distracted by shiny cars."

"And hammers." I added.

Francie smiled and took a drink. 

"What about you though? I'm sorry, we shouldn't be gossiping about Jeremy so much, his ears must be on fire right about now." She lamented and set her cup down between us on the bench. "Any wife? Children?"

"No and no." I shrugged. "You?"

"No wife or children either." She grinned.

"Husband?" I tilted my head.

"Another no." Francie said and we tended to our tea once again. The rest of the time was spent swapping horror stories involving Jeremy, as well as places we've been to and have yet to visit. When my phone rang, I saw a text from my assistant who said Jeremy was in the office now. I got up and we threw our empty cups away. "Thanks for keeping me company." She said as we headed back into the elevator. "Truthfully, I felt a little lonely in America, it was fun but I missed being home." She admitted as the doors opened.

"Well, welcome home." I said and we headed back down the maze and finally reached Top Gear's hole in the wall. Francie spotted Jeremy's towering form and the two shared a quick hug before she turned her attention back to me.

"Andy kept me occupied while I waited, are you free to talk?" She asked Jeremy.

"Of course, how about a drink? Don't mind if I leave early do you?" Jeremy asked Francie and then looked to me. I shrugged and considered how much work we had actually gotten done. It was enough. And I could tell they needed to talk in private about certain matters. "Thanks." Jeremy grinned and patted my back. "Come on." He waved a hand at the woman and then glanced back to me as I went to my desk to busy myself. "Hope you didn't mind keeping her around, I do appreciate it. It's been a while since we really spoke and I'm rather glad to do it in person, rather than over the phone."

"It was fine." I looked up from my papers as Francie headed off to the elevator. Jezza slipped his leather jacket on and waited for me to finish. "As a matter of fact it was...a good break, she's very good company...quite lovely." I sighed and looked back down at my work. Clarkson followed after his old friend and I ended up ducking out of work as well, unable to shake Francie's smile from my mind.


	2. James, Sarah and Francie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other side of our relationships, milestones to reflect upon, they're quite lovely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay folks.

\- - - "Quite lovely." - James May to Richard Hammond

Due to our sort of celebrity status, Richard and I weren't officially together but we weren't seeing anyone else either.

I suppose our natural chemistry would somehow flourish over the years we spent together. We travel, eat and sleep so close. We work together and laugh together and at the end of the day, we don't mind sharing a bit more time over a few drinks at the pub. When we're together, he's less likely to get into a fight with a stranger, and I'm less likely to stab someone in the eye with a stray dart. And without the oaf Clarkson, we find it rather easy to have conversations about cars, at least we know how to fix them without the use of a hammer.

Eventually our interactions became more frequent outside of work, between filming. Hammond and I would go for walks and one occasion, we'd drive into the countryside. His eyes were hard to say no to, and when his lips pouted, well, let's just say his entire face can put on hell of a show when he wants something bad enough. So sometimes we'd drive through the country and I'd pretend to hate it even though Richard's smile was worth the bumbling and rambling around.

Jezza surely noticed our closeness over time but he never mentioned it, just poked fun from time to time.

And for Hammond and I, we were perfectly fine keeping things quiet and cozy.

Some days he would come over and try to tame Fusker and other days, I would pop over to his flat and try to organize what he considered to be his hone office. I could tell that keeping things soft spoken was becoming rather cumbersome but I wasn't yet ready to make things public. Once our relationship was brought into the spotlight, our privacy would be rather eradicated. I liked keeping Hammond all to myself and I liked having space. In my mind, once the media reported on our romantic relationship, all hell would break loose.

But for Richard, I knew going public wasn't to cause a stir, but to take more pride in the idea of "us."

So once the recent series of Top Gear was wrapped up, taping wise, I gathered up Andy, Jeremy and Richard to discuss something long overdue. Hammond and I expressed interest in coming out publicly and in order to do so, we wanted to prepare Andy and Jeremy for the oncoming mess. They were supportive and optimistic but a knot had formed in my stomach, despite Hammond's joy. After we were done talking, we parted ways and Hammond caught up to me in the lot as I fumbled for my keys. "If you're not totally on board, we don't have to-" He began to say.

"We can't keep pretending to be just friends." I stopped him, knowing he'd try to give me a way out. I wanted one but it wasn't fair to keep things quiet for so long. "Besides, I bet half of Birmingham knows something's up, knowing you." I grinned wearily at the shortie as I finally unlocked my trusty Panda. Hammond leaned against the side and folded his arms across his chest. Any more banter fell from my lips as I leaned over and kissed him softly. "I'm not feeling forced, if that's what's worrying you, mate."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Now shut up and follow me to the pub, I could use a drink." I said and patted his bum lightly as I got into the car. Hammond gave me his trademark boyish grin and headed off to start his bike. That night we drank more we usually did but we weren't just drunk on beer and chips, we were also fantasizing about how things would be, how much better life would be once we could hold hands in public and snog like stupid school children. I wasn't one for public forms of affection but at least soon, the opportunity would be there.

If Richard ever got the urge to kiss me during filming, it had to be done very sneakily. But soon, we wouldn't have to look over our shoulders, left and then right. As we exited the pub, I grabbed Hammond's hand, lacing our fingers together. 'Huh what?" He tossed his head back toward me. I couldn't help it. He looked so beautiful in the moonlight. Screw us being in public, screw someone seeing and snapping a photo with their damned smart phone or whatever, I wanted what Hammond wanted, to enjoy life. I pulled him to me, my hand cupping the side of his face while my other still kept hold of the hamster. I kissed him sweetly, deeply. I could taste him beyond that American beer shit he drank. I could taste him beyond the chips and gravy.

And he was even sweeter in public, without worry.

"Why'd ya do that?" Hammond blushed a little as he looked around to see if anyone had witnessed our simple declaration of love. "Aren't you worried? Shouldn't we have a formal coming out or something?" While we hadn't yet discussed how we'd come out, I couldn't help but smile at Richard's attempts at sounding logical. 

"I felt like kissing my boyfriend. Nothing wrong with that." I shrugged.

He blushed and smiled sheepishly. We move a bit further down the street to where we had parked, hands still connected. "Gosh you're getting sappy in your old age, James." He taunted me as we stood by a streetlight, still enjoying the night. "But I do like it." He considered and leaned up to kiss my jawline. "The whole would should know you're off limits."

"And that you're mine." I continued, bringing both arms around his thin waist.

"Lovely." He muttered against my jaw, his lips traveling down my neck, causing me to chuckle.

"Quite lovely." I countered and held him tight, feeling those feverishly lips of his nuzzle the side of neck. What a pillock. But he was my pillock.

\- - - "Quite lovely." - Sarah Frater to Jeremy Clarkson

"Oh shoot." I lamented as I saw Jeremy poking around in our closet. "Jeremy, don't tell me you found your present!" I chided. I had hid it back in the closet and I didn't think Jeremy would find it. He turned around and hid a small parcel behind his back and I folded my arms, scowl deepening. "Our anniversary is tomorrow, can't you wait?" 

"I've waited long enough." He pouted, trying to find redemption in the fact that he could have looked sooner.

"Well wait a bit longer." I closed the gap between us and snatched the box from him. "Give me that! You don't see me looking around for your present, it's not like I've checked the garage and the car and your office, that would ridiculous." I huffed, trying to hide my smile. "It's not like I've found decoy boxes with nothing in them."

"Aha!" He grinned and made a grab for the gift in my arms. I jumped back and ran out of the bedroom and down the hall to the living room. "You're not getting away that easy, Sarah!" Jeremy declared. I could hear him behind me. While I had the agility thanks to my dancing, his long legs could make up for whatever distance I had put between us. Before I knew it, he had pinned me to the floor. "Got you." He smirked and pinned my hands above my head. I squirmed and saw my present for him out of reach now, sitting by the fireplace.

"I should be the one catching and punishing you." I pointed out.

"Who said I was going to punish you?" He asked me.

"Just a wild guess." I shrugged and pushed myself up and out of his hold. I looked back toward the present. "Don't even think about it, Jeremy. I want it to be a surprise."

"I'll still be surprised, I'll just be surprised a day early." He begged.

"No." I got up and grabbed it before he could get hold of it again. "Be a good boy and go to work, tomorrow night, we'll exchange presents and the wait will be worth it." I said. It would be our second year together as a couple and I wanted it to go well, like anyone would. While I loved Jezza, he could be such a brat sometimes.

He hung his head in defeat and headed back to his office while I went to find a proper hiding spot for my present. The rest of the day passed smoothly. We stayed in and ordered Thai food and watched some Netflix The next day was a slow one leading up to our night out. When we were all set to enjoy our evening together, Jeremy came out in a devilish looking suit. I had on a simple black dress and I had my hair down. Being a dancer, it was easy to leave it up but it was a habit I was trying to break. "You look gorgeous." He said as he adjusted his cuffs and slipped on his dress shoes.

"Thanks, you look great too." I smiled and got up from the couch. We grabbed our presents and headed out to the Merc. Jeremy drove us to a fancy restaurant and we enjoyed great music and food. It was a relief to get away from the mess of work. "Maybe after this we can do a little dancing." I suggested as we gave our dessert order and sipped on a bit of Port. 

"I was thinking of something more...private." Jeremy mentioned as he slid a small box towards me. It looked like a ring box but with Jeremy, you could never be too sure "Go on, it won't bite." He said as I picked up the black velvet box and slowly opened it, torn between being hopeful and cautious. A small pair of diamond stud earrings were in the box and I quickly shifted mental gears, trying not to appear disappointed. "What do you think?"

"It's...lovely." I smiled at him and closed the box.

"Just lovely?"

"Very lovely." I said.

"I hope this gets received a little better." He then pulled out a matching box and opened it, showing me a simple diamond ring inside. He knew me well, that I wasn't into a lot of flash and flair. "Sarah, I would be a bloody fool if I didn't marry you. And I think you'd be a bit of a fool as well, if you didn't marry me." He smiled and took the ring out and grabbed my hand. "You're beautiful and smart and don't just tolerate my flaws, you accept and love them, and me for everything I am." He continued. "Will you marry-" He stopped himself. "May I marry you?" He asked. I smiled even more. He was tricky beyond belief but I did love him and wanted to marry him. Most of all, I wanted him to marry me.

"Yes, yes." I said, tears threatening to mess up my makeup. He slipped the ring on and I got a closer look at it. "Oh, Jeremy...this is...quite lovely." I then laughed and moved around the table to kiss him. I couldn't believe it, I was going to marry Jeremy Clarkson and I couldn't be happier. The rest of the night was rather romantic and private, we both had much to celebrate after all. Looking back, I wish I had called him back sooner but now none of that mattered. We were together, better later than never.

\- - - "Quite lovely." - Francie Cain to Andy Wilman

Andy and the rest of the crew were off on another wild trip, filming a special for Top Gear. I was worried as usual. The boys weren't as young as they thought they were. Andy and I had been together for nearly a year. Jeremy was supportive of us, as were Richard and James. Andy was such a sweetheart, while he was busy with work and planning meetings, he wasn't nearly as busy as the trio of morons. That meant Andy and I could go away for a weekend or laze around together. We hadn't moved in together but that didn't mean our relationship wasn't serious. 

We were taking things slow since we hadn't been in long relationships in a while.

I walked around my kitchen, trying not to assume the worst. Andy was fine. He always came back. It was Jezza and the others who I knew I should be more concerned about. I checked the time and knew Andy would be calling soon. He had phoned me every night around this time. I had busied myself making dinner but now that it was done and over with, I could just pace back and forth now. I sat at the table, by now my tea was cold. How rotten. I drummed my fingers on the table and glanced at my cell phone and then my home phone. Both were within reach. 

Finally I heard a ring and picked up my cell phone. I heard Andy on the other line, out of breathe. "Andy, you alright?" I asked him.

"I'm fine Francie, really I am. Sorry about calling later than usual. You won't believe what happened." Andy laughed a little and then proceeded to tell me the wild animals they had seen. It was a blessing the crew were alright. Andy seemed alright but I just wished he would come home soon. We hung up and I went to bed. The following day, I went out with Sarah who I had gotten close to. We talked about Jeremy and her engagement. It was a good distraction for us both.

That night I waited for Andy to call but none came.

It made me worried, even more than usual.

The next day, I didn't get much work done. No surprise there.

At night, I waited for him to call and just say reception was bad but again, he didn't call. By the end of the week, I hadn't heard anything from him though he was supposed to get back soon. I waited around the airport, keeping my eyes peeled for any sight of the Top Gear boys and crew. I heard them arrive before I really saw them. They looked tired but otherwise okay. I rushed forward and threw my arms around Andy, who had been talking to Jeremy. Oh well.

"Why didn't you call? I was so worried." I frowned.

"I tried but it kept dropping." He said and kissed me. "I'm sorry, Francie." He could tell I was still pretty bothered though. "Is everything okay?" He asked me as I pulled back and took his hand. I lead him off to the side where there were less people. "What's going on?" 

"I needed to talk to you."

"I'm here now." Andy smiled and rested his hands on my shoulders. "Come on, we'll get a drink at my flat, it'll be like I wasn't gone for nearly two weeks. I promise."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm...pregnant." I said and nervously looked to him. "I found out three days ago and I needed to talk to you, over the phone wasn't ideal but it couldn't wait but..." I trailed off and played with my hair. Andy smiled and kissed me again. 

"That's fantastic. I mean, you know." He said and rubbed my back. 

"You're...fine with...being a father?"

"The father of your child? Of course." Andy said. "I guess this means we'll be taking things to the next level."

"Probably skip two levels." I laughed and hugged him. He kissed the top of my head and suddenly my worries were all gone. Andy was back and safe. He reacted rather well to the news and I knew we'd be just fine together. I drove us to his flat and we ate dinner together, talking about moving in and everything else. As we got into bed, he kissed my stomach and curled up with me. He said he loved me and our future child. I closed my eyes, happy to dream of a bright future together. "Mmm...quite lovely." I muttered sleepily, drifting off to wonderland.


End file.
